The present invention relates to an air cleaner for filtering air taken inside an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, and more particularly, to an air cleaner provided with a cylindrical filter element.
A conventional air cleaner of this kind is shown, for example, in FIG. 7. The shown air cleaner is provided with a cylindrical outer case 1, and the case 1 is formed with an integrally formed bottom 1b and an opened end. An air inlet 1a is formed to a side wall section of the case 1, and inside the case 1, there is disposed a cylindrical filter element 2. The opened end is covered by a cover 3 which is formed with an air outlet 3a being coaxial with the cylindrical filter element 2 in an assembled state. When the cover 3 is fitted to the opened end of the case 1, the filter element 2 is pressed and secured in the axial direction between the cover 3 and the bottom 1b of the case 1.
The air introduced inside the case 1 through the air inlet 1a passes the cylindrical filter element 2 thereinto in its radial direction as shown with an arrow. The air passing through the filter element 2 flows in an inner space of the filter element 2 along the central axial direction thereof and then flows out of the case 1 through the outlet 3a formed to the cover 3.
When such air cleaner has been used for a long time, much dust or dirt adheres to a filter or filter paper wound around the filter element, and an intake resistance is increased and air intake performance will be hence deteriorated. For this reason, it is necessary to periodically carry out a maintenance work such as cleaning of a soiled filter element 2 or exchanging of the soiled filter element 2 with a new one. In the case of carrying out such maintenance work, the cover 3 is first removed sideways from the body of the case 1, and the filter element 2 is moved transversely (i.e. axially) in the case 1 and then removed therefrom.
In an internal combustion engine, generally, various elements or equipments are arranged around an air cleaner in an engine room. In an air cleaner of a conventional structure, it is necessary to provide a space around the air cleaner for transversely removing the cover from the case and moving the filter element in the transverse direction. There is a possibility of interference of the filter element with the other elements or equipments disposed around the filter element, thus providing a problem in the maintenance work.
An object of the present invention is to substantially eliminate defects or problems encountered in the prior art mentioned above and to provide an air cleaner capable of requiring no specific space for maintenance work around the air cleaner and easily carrying out the maintenance work.
This and other objects of the present invention can be achieved according to the present invention by providing, in one aspect, an air cleaner comprising:
a case;
a cover detachably mounted to the case;
a filter element accommodated in the case, said filter element having a cylindrical shape having a central axis therealong; and
a pair of support members provided for the cover,
wherein said the pair of support members can be engaged with both end portions of the filter element in an axial direction thereof so as to hold the filter element between the support members,
and wherein removing said cover from the case removes the filter element from the case together with the cover and disengaging said filter element from the support members removes the filter element from the cover.
According to the structure of this aspect, when the cover is removed from the case, the filter element is also removed together with the cover. The filter element can be disengaged from the cover after removing the cover upward from an engine room of a vehicle, for example, so as not to interfere with peripheral elements or parts. Accordingly, it is not necessary to specifically form a space around the air cleaner for maintenance, and hence, the maintenance itself can be easily performed.
In a preferred embodiment of the above aspect, one of the paired support members is mounted to the cover to be rotatable through a hinge device, and the paired support members can be engaged with the filter element by rotating (pivoting) the one of the paired support members in one direction and disengaged therefrom by rotating the same in another direction. This one of the paired support members comprises a disc plate section, a rotatable (pivotal) shaft attached to the disc plate section and a connection pin connected to the rotatable shaft, and the cover is provided with a pin receiver to receive the connection pin, the connection pin and the pin receiver constituting the hinge device about which the above-mentioned one of the support members is rotated. The pin receiver may be formed with a groove into which the connection pin is fitted when rotated.
The cover is provided with a support member holding rib for holding that one of the paired support members at a predetermined angle with respect to the case to hold the filter element between the paired support members.
According to the location of the hinge device and the pivotal motion of one of the support members, the filter element can be surely supported by the cover, with substantially no shifting of position, when the cover is removed from the case, and the filter element can be thereafter easily disengaged from the cover, improving a maintenance work. Furthermore, when the filter element is assembled in the case and supported by the support members at both ends, the filter element can be placed to the predetermined position with no tilting from a predetermined axial line.
Furthermore, the location of the support member holding rib can ensure the axial holding force, so that the filter element can be surely supported at its both ends by the support members, thus achieving a sealing performance.
In a modified aspect of the present invention, there is also provided an air cleaner for an engine of a vehicle comprising:
a case;
a cover detachably mounted to the case, said cover having an air outlet through which air flows out;
a filter element accommodated in the case, said filter element having a cylindrical shape having a central axis therealong, said central axis of the filter element being directed in a direction other than a vertical direction with respect to a body of the vehicle to which the engine is mounted; and
a pair of support members provided for the cover,
wherein said the pair of support members can be engaged with both end portions of the filter element in an axial direction thereof so as to hold the filter element between the support members to be coaxial with an axis of said air outlet,
and wherein removing said cover from the case removes the filter element from the case and disengaging said filter element from the support members removes the filter element from the cover.
The structure of this modified aspect will be preferably applied to a transverse-setting type air cleaner in which the central axis of the filter element directs in a direction, for example, horizontal direction, other than the vertical direction with respect to the vehicle body. This is because, in the case of the transverse-setting type air cleaner, it is required to set a space for maintenance in the axial direction of the filter element, i.e., approximately horizontal direction of the vehicle body. Further, in such transverse-setting type air cleaner, the air cleaner can be rectilinearly connected in a direction of a throttle body of the engine without bending an air outlet provided coaxially with the axis of the filter element, so that the air resistance becomes not so large. On the contrary, in the structure of the vertical arrangement of the axis of the filter element, it is required to bend the air outlet for connecting to the engine throttle body or like, thus increasing air resistance. Furthermore, a tire house is generally provided in the engine room. However, according to this embodiment, since the filter element is directed to the direction other than the vertical direction to the vehicle body and an arc section of the air cleaner is effectively utilized, the interference of the tire house with the air cleaner can be prevented, and hence, the layout or arrangement of the air cleaner can be made more free.
The nature and further characteristic features of the present invention will be made more clear from the following descriptions with reference to the accompanying drawings.